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James J. Rorimer papers, 1921-1982, bulk 1943-1950

Creator:
Rorimer, James J. (James Joseph), 1905-1966  Search this
Subject:
Valland, Rose  Search this
Rorimer, Katherine S.  Search this
Allied Forces. Supreme Headquarters. Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives Section  Search this
Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, N.Y.). Board of Trustees  Search this
Cloisters (Museum)  Search this
Type:
Scrapbooks
Photographs
Citation:
James J. Rorimer papers, 1921-1982, bulk 1943-1950. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Art treasures in war -- France  Search this
Art treasures in war -- Germany  Search this
Museum directors -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Art thefts -- Germany -- History -- 20th century  Search this
Cultural property -- Protection -- Europe -- History -- 20th century  Search this
Curators -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
World War, 1939-1945 -- Art and the war  Search this
Theme:
Research and writing about art  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)8384
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)210558
AAA_collcode_rorijame
Theme:
Research and writing about art
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_210558
Online Media:

James J. Rorimer papers

Creator:
Rorimer, James J. (James Joseph), 1905-1966  Search this
Names:
Allied Forces. Supreme Headquarters. Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives Section  Search this
Cloisters (Museum)  Search this
Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, N.Y.). Board of Trustees  Search this
Rorimer, Katherine S.  Search this
Valland, Rose  Search this
Extent:
2.3 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Scrapbooks
Photographs
Date:
1921-1982
bulk 1943-1950
Summary:
The papers of curator and museum director James J. Rorimer measure 2.3 linear feet and date from 1921 to 1982, with the bulk from 1943-1950. The papers include documentation of James J. Rorimer's World War II service in the Monuments, Fine Art and Archives Section of the U.S. Army and his activities protecting historic and cultural sites from bombing, and locating and recovering art work and cultural icons stolen by the Nazis. Found within the papers are scattered biographical materials and correspondence, writings include draft versions of Rorimer's book Safe-Keeping or Survival: The Salvage and Protection of Art in War, financial records, photographic materials including a photo album containing photographs of European art work and cultural sites where Rorimer worked, newsclippings and additional printed materials, and one scrapbook of clippings dating from World War II.
Scope and Contents note:
The papers of curator and museum director James J. Rorimer measure 2.3 linear feet and date from 1921 to 1982, with the bulk from 1943-1950. The papers include documentation of James J. Rorimer's World War II service in the Monuments, Fine Art and Archives Section of the U.S. Army and his activities protecting historic and cultural sites from bombing, and locating and recovering art work and cultural icons stolen by the Nazis. Found within the papers are scattered biographical materials and correspondence, writings include draft versions of Rorimer's book Safe-Keeping or Survival: The Salvage and Protection of Art in War, financial records, photographic materials including a photo album containing photographs of European art work and cultural sites where Rorimer worked, newsclippings and additional printed materials, and one scrapbook of clippings dating from World War II.

Scattered biographical materials include a college transcript and various certificates. Much of the correspondence is comprised of army directives but also includes some personal letters from Rorimer's wife Katherine.

Writings by Rorimer include several handwritten manuscripts and drafts of his book Survival: The Salvage and Protection of Art in War, which was originally titled Safe-Keeping. There is one folder of miscellaneous financial records, mostly dating from Rorimer's time in the army. There is also one folder of minutes of the Metropolitan Museum of Art Board of Trustees meetings.

Photographic materials include black and white photographs, negatives, contact prints, postcards, and one photo album. The photograph album was given to Rorimer from the headquarters of the Office of Military Government in Baden-Wurttemberg and is titled War Damage in Wurtemmberg: A Selection of Photographs. Many of the photographs document bomb damage to European cultural monuments and historic sites. There are photographs of Nazi stolen art repositories discovered by Rorimer and fellow Monuments Men at Buxheim monastery and Neuschwanstein castle, art recovery and transportation, and restitution work at Wiesbaden Central Collecting Point. Photographs of people, such as Edith Standen, Rose Valland, and Rorimer, are scattered throughout the series.

Printed materials include newspaper and magazine clippings, mostly related to The Cloisters or the activities and achievements of the Monuments Men. Printed materials also includes bulletins, brochures, and press releases. There is also a war-time scrapbook and two handbooks of maps showing historic monuments and sites in France and Germany.
Arrangement note:
The collection is arranged as 7 series:

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Materials, 1942-1946 (Box 1, 4; 8 folders)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1927-1982 (Box 1; 0.1 linear feet)

Series 3: Writings, circa 1946-1950 (Box 1; 0.8 linear feet)

Series 4: Financial Records, 1943-1946 (Box 1; 1 folder)

Series 5: Administrative Files, 1940 (Box 1; 1 folder)

Series 6: Photographic Materials, 1921-1966 (Box 1-2, 4; 0.7 linear feet)

Series 7: Printed Materials, 1923-1966 (Box 3-4, OV 5-6; 0.7 linear feet)
Biographical/Historical note:
James J. Rorimer (1905-1966) was a museum director and curator of medieval art working in New York City. Rorimer was the primary force and first director of The Cloisters at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. During World War II, Rorimer served in the U.S. Army Monuments, Fine Art and Archives Section protecting cultural sites and recovering stolen art work.

James J. Rorimer was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1905 and attended the University School there until he left in 1921 in order to study abroad in Europe. He studied at the Ecole Gory in Paris for two years, then returned to the United States to finish his studies at the University School in Cleveland. In 1927, Rorimer graduated from Harvard University with a B.A. Soon after, he began working at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City where he worked his way up from a position as an assistant to Head Curator of Medieval Art, a position he filled from 1934 to 1955, director of The Cloisters, and eventually director and trustee of the museum.

Rorimer was heavily involved with the planning and development of The Cloisters, working closely with the architect Charles Collens. When The Cloisters opened in 1938, Rorimer worked there as a curator and later became the first director in 1949. During this time, Rorimer developed a professional relationship with John D. Rockefeller, Jr., who donated to New York City a large tract of land, a portion of which was given to the Metropolitan Museum as a location to build The Cloisters. The Cloisters' collections evolved into a world renown collection of medieval art under Rorimer's curatorship and directorship.

As the director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art from 1955-1966, Rorimer nearly doubled membership and attendance, raised a substantial amount of endowment funding, renovated almost half of the galleries, and increased the exhibition space.

Rorimer married Katherine Newton in 1942. They had two children, Anne and Louis.

During World War II, from 1943 to 1946, Rorimer served in the U.S. Army's Monuments, Fine Art and Archives (MFAA) Section. The "Monuments Men" of the U.S. Army were charged with locating and protecting historical sites, monuments, artwork, and buildings from Allied bombing. Towards the end of the war, the section led recovery efforts to locate and retrieve Nazi stolen art works and other cultural heritage items. Rorimer served as a MFAA officer in Normandy and Paris, and, while in Germany, was promoted to chief of the MFAA Section of the 7th Army Western Military District.

While in Paris, Rorimer worked closely with Rose Valland, an employee of the Jeu de Paume Museum in Paris who spied on the Nazis and recorded in detail the movements of artwork stolen by members of the Nazi party, including Hermann Wilhelm Goering and Joseph Goebbels. With Valland's assistance, Rorimer discovered a large cache of stolen and confiscated artwork at the Neuschwanstein Castle in the Bavarian Alps. He and his team also recovered other artwork, European antiquities, and cultural icons that were stored in nearby salt mines. Rorimer and the other Monuments Men arranged the recovery and removal of the cache of stolen goods.

Rorimer received numerous awards for his work during World War II including, the French Cross of War in 1945, Chevalier in 1947, and officer of the French Legion of Honor in 1957. Rorimer wrote about his work as a Monuments Man in his book Survival: The Salvage and Protection of Art in War, published by Abelard Press in 1950. James J. Rorimer died in 1966.
Related Archival Materials note:
Among the holdings of the Archives of American is an oral history interview with Anne Rorimer, James' daughter, conducted in 2010 by the Archives of American Art. The Archives also holds the papers of several members of the World War II Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives (MFAA) Section of the U.S. Army, including S. Lane Faison, Walker Hancock, Walter Horn, Thomas Carr Howe, George Stout, and Otto Wittman. as well as oral history interviews with some of them.

The official government records for James Rorimer's service during World War II in the MFAA Section of the U.S. Army are maintained by the National Archives and Records Administration.

James J. Rorimer Papers, 1927-1966, are also located at Metropolitan Museum of Art Libraries.
Provenance:
The James J. Rorimer papers were donated to the Archives of American Art by his wife, Katherine Serrell Rorimer, in 2 installments in 1983.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Topic:
Art treasures in war -- France  Search this
Art treasures in war -- Germany  Search this
Museum directors -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Art thefts -- Germany -- History -- 20th century  Search this
Cultural property -- Protection -- Europe -- History -- 20th century  Search this
Curators -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
World War, 1939-1945 -- Art and the war  Search this
Genre/Form:
Scrapbooks
Photographs
Citation:
James J. Rorimer papers, 1923-1982, bulk 1943-1950. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.rorijame
See more items in:
James J. Rorimer papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw91203946f-18c7-44f6-8a73-79cc5e80b894
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-rorijame
Online Media:

Extract from the minutes of the Board of Trustees of the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Creator:
Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, N.Y.). Board of Trustees  Search this
Subject:
Whitney, Gertrude Vanderbilt  Search this
Type:
Writings
Date:
1942
Citation:
Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, N.Y.). Board of Trustees. Extract from the minutes of the Board of Trustees of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1942. Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney papers, 1851-1975. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Record number:
(DSI-AAA)19658
See more items in:
Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney papers, 1851-1975, bulk 1888-1942
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_item_19658

Annual report of the Trustees of the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Title:
Annual report for the year
Author:
Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, N.Y.) Board of Trustees  Search this
Subject:
Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Physical description:
v. ill. 26-28 cm
Type:
Electronic resources
Periodicals
Date:
1871
19uu
Call number:
N610 .A38
N610.A38
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_86093

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